Worcester tax preparer sentenced for false returns

  • BOSTON — Kwasi Kwarteng, a 51-year-old tax preparer from Worcester, was handed down a sentence of one year and one day in prison by U.S. District Judge Margaret R. Guzman for his role in preparing fraudulent tax returns. Following his prison term, Kwarteng will undergo one year of supervised release, as announced by the U.S. Department of Justice.

    In addition to his prison sentence, Kwarteng is mandated to compensate the Internal Revenue Service $346,186 in restitution and pay a special assessment fee of $1,300. Further solidifying the consequences of his actions, he has been permanently banned from preparing or assisting in the filing of federal tax returns for others.

    Kwarteng's legal troubles stem from his April 2023 guilty plea to 13 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false federal tax returns.

    Operating under the unregistered business name KK Tax Service from 2014 to 2018, he filed over 1,195 tax returns on behalf of clients, charging around $150 for each submission. Through these filings, Kwarteng unlawfully added deductions for nonexistent expenses, such as medical costs, personal property taxes, charitable donations, IRA contributions, and unreimbursed employee business expenses. This misconduct led to reduced tax liabilities and unwarranted refunds for his clients, causing the IRS to incur losses exceeding half a million dollars.

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